Galaxy on Fire 2 Full HD: A Visually Stunning Ride Through the Galaxy

Space… the final frontier. A frontier not often explored by video games — not in a spaceship anyway. While there’s a sea of racing games, first person shooters, and other genres that have way too many clones, space flight simulators that let you explore the vast galaxy while admiring it’s magnificent beauty are very scarce.

This once popular type of game is considered by most to be a “dead” genre, and this is sad because there are many people who love space, spaceships, and space battles. Some have EVE to rely on, but not everyone can afford the monthly price or the hours needed to invest in such deep game.

This is where Galaxy on Fire 2 Full HD comes into play. While these are not the voyages of the starship Enterprise, this title will take you were no one has gone before — and it’ll do so with finesse.

Presentation

Where no one has gone before... Sort of.

In the grand scheme of things, Galaxy on Fire 2 Full HD is a complete overhaul from its predecessor. The look and feel of many parts of the game have been revamped to create a great sci-fi experience that immerses you into the game. The galaxy map, for instance, has received and amazing lift-up. Not only does it work much better than in the previous game, but it looks gorgeous as well. Jumping from one solar system to the other with the jumpgate is a joy to look at.

Solar System Map

Freelance missions are back as well, and they too have a visual touch-up. They are no longer just plain menu items you can choose from. All of these changes make GoF2 a more visually immersive game. Rather than having a bunch of menu items like in the first game, this iteration pulls you closer into the experience.

Mysterious faces throughout the galaxy

Immersive menus are not the only new additions to this game. Another great addition is mini games, like mining, that can be found throughout your gameplay experience. This enhances the emphasis different jobs have on your ranks. Since you can always deviate from the main story missions like in the previous installment, there are always plenty of side missions to tackle here as well. Items at the shop cost much more than they did on the previous game, so you will want to embark on different missions quite a bit.

Saving the galaxy, one system at the time.

When it comes to the story, GoF2 follows the adventures of former Wing Commander of the Terran Space Fleet, Keith T. Maxwell. And much like in the previous game, he is a complete pro at taking down the bad guys.

Right from the start, the story will take a surprising turn, allowing you to explore a wider scope of the galaxy. Without spoiling anything, it is safe to say that while the story isn’t going to have the lasting appeal of a certain space third-person shooter, the story does manage to keep you interested.

The space station

The only downside with the overall plot lays completely in the voice acting and the lack of connection with the characters. The characters are forgettable, and although at times the voice acting is somewhat polished, as a whole it does little to improve the story.

Graphics

Gorgeous

The guys over at FishLabs were not kidding when they decided to add “full HD” to the name of the Mac version. GoF2FHD looks phenomenal. It is perhaps the prettiest looking space ever seen from games in its price range. Passing beside meteors and through space dust is something to behold. The graphics alone are reason enough to play this visually-striking game.

It doesn’t stop there, however. Menus, sun glare, lasers, ships, and space stations, all look extremely good. And considering that we were running our review copy on a fairly old 2007 Macbook Pro, the game runs amazingly well and looks even better than we could have expected.

Gameplay

The jumpgate: like a Stargate, but not really.

At its very core, GoF2 is a space trading and combat simulation video game with an open world environment. Because of this, you are able to do a broad range of jobs throughout the galaxy. This allows you to gain credits, credits of which you can spend on new ships, weapons, equipment, and random items that you can sell for more money in other systems. This makes the game addicting. It makes you want to work hard to get the best craft and the best weapons available. The only downfall to this is that trekking from system to system is a bit slow. Other than that hassle, the game takes a hold of you and makes you play it by enticing you with plenty of goodies.

Gameplay in this game varies depending on whatever you’re currently doing. If you’re mining you’ll probably hate it until you get a better mining tool. If you’re fighting pirates, you’ll probably find it daunting until you get a better weapon. From the handling of your ship to the power of your weapons, the gameplay gets better and better each time you upgrade.

The only letdowns this game has are few. The ships aiming for example; when you aim, the curser moves but the ship follows it slowly. In other games, when you pull up by dragging the cursor down, most crafts would follow the curser instead of lagging behind it. It’s a bit hard to get use to coming from other flight games. Also, the lack of a cockpit view is rather depressing. From cars to mechs, cockpit view is amazing and it should have been implemented.

Final Thoughts

An awesome adventure awaits

Galaxy on Fire 2 Full HD is a grand triumph for those out there who still enjoy a space fligh simulator. With superb graphics and a killer gameplay experience, this game is a must have for those who enjoy this genre and those who wish to venture out into space.

As always, don’t forget to leave us your thoughts on the game below, and feel free to join our Steam Group in order to play with or against Mac.AppStorm writers and readers.